Pedrosa made no mistake at the start and it was Lorenzo instead who briefly lost his place as Casey Stoner passed him on the first corner although the Yamaha rider regained second spot by the end of the first lap.

While Pedrosa opened a four-second lead over Lorenzo with 17 laps to go, there was a terrific ding-dong battle going on behind with Rossi finally getting the better of Stoner on his Ducati, the team that the charismatic Italian will join next season.

Stoner was falling down the field at an alarming rate as he was then passed easily by Italian Andrea Dovizioso.

Loris Capirossi's 200th Grand Prix in the elite class came to a anti-climactic end on only the second corner along with American Nicky Hayden, who exited at the same point last year.

Capirossi stormed away wringing his hands in frustration and pain - as the accident saw his little finger ground down to the bone - having remonstrated at Hayden, who had caused the accident by edging out when there was no room and sending the Italian flying.

Spaniard Marc Marquez won the 125ccrace on a Derbi ahead of compatriots Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) and Efren Vasquez (Derbi).

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